HALLOWEEN MADNESS

(Courtesy of Draco Malfoy)

Chapter 1: ANNOUNCEMENTS, ANYONE?

The great hall was abuzz with the news of a Halloween Ball coming up as dinner fast approached. Harry, Hermione and Ron came in and were greeted by the sound of excited murmurs from their fellow students.

Even as they settled down in their seats at the Gryffindor tables and the plates began to pile with food, the noise still was not halted, and if possible, turned an even more animated pitch.

"Honestly," said Hermione in a huffy voice. "It's not as if this is the first time they are going to attend a Halloween Ball."

"But Hermione," Parvati, overhearing her, said. "Aren't you even in the least bit excited that we have two balls in one year?"

"Excited?" she reiterated. "Well, let me see...no."

"But why?"

"Aside from the obvious fact that they are only apart by a month, the Yule Ball and the Halloween Ball, I mean, there is also the matter of the workload that the teachers are giving us in preparation for our N.E.W.T.s next year."

Ron and Harry were smart enough not to intrude when Hermione gets hyped up with her reasoning. But, of course, there were times when she needed to just keep silent about things especially if everyone seems to find her reasons quite irrelevant to the matter or if everyone sides against her. "Hermione, have you bought me a Christmas present just yet?" asked Ron unwittingly.

She gave him a look that told him she seriously was considering whether or not he belonged outside St. Mungo's. "No, Ron. It's the first week of October."

"Yes, well, I just thought that you have gotten the habit of buying presents in advance," he replied abashedly, red tinting his cheeks.

Harry intercepted before anything else was said, coming to Ron's rescue, he said, "Hey, 'Mione, what if there really was a ball, who'd you be going with?"

She took a sip of her pumpkin juice before answering. "Well, I don't think I'll be going anyhow. No use trying to sullen my brain to think of a possible partner that is, if anyone actually asks me this time 'round."

Just then, Dumbledore stood up from his chair along the Faculty's table and clanged a fork against his own goblet.

"I think he's got an announcement to make."

"No, Harry. Of course not. What made you think that?" said Hermione dryly.

Harry stared at her. "Okay. Hermione, don't do that again. That was scary."

Ron nodded his head.

"Hmmm..."

Dumbledore, on the other hand, was saying: "And so, to end the gossips, I announce that there shall really be a Halloween Ball. It had only been decided the first day of this month. It was supposed to be a surprise but seeing as everyone seems to know about it now..." he let his voice trail off.

The students couldn't contain their joy at that statement. They started cheering and clapping loudly until Dumbledore continued.

"And to promote House Unity, I decree that the even shall be an Inter-House Ball. You all know what that means, don't you?" he asked, his eyes twinkling. "It means that you shall have to go with a person from another House if you want rewards."

There was a wave of grumble that enveloped the Great Hall at his announcement. Most of them were going out, all right but with members of the same Houses they belonged to. They took it unfair that the Headmaster just had to devise such a plan.

"Please, settle down, students," said Dumbledore in a cheery voice. "Let me reiterate what I said. Going with another person from another House shall give you rewards for your own Houses."

"What sort of rewards could that be?" Ron muttered under his breath. "Do we get to have Snape fired from Hogwarts?"

Dumbledore said, "The rewards do not include firing anyone from the Hogwarts faculty staff."

Ron frowned and looked at his friends. "He didn't hear me, did he?"

"Don't think so," answered Harry.

"You shall have extra House points for coming with someone from another House." At this last statement, Dumbledore went back to his seat.

"Well, I could live without that," said Ron as the noise erupted in the Hall once again . "I mean with Harry and us getting to every sort of trouble that brings us more points than we could imagine at the end of every year."

"Ron!" Hermione hissed warningly.

Harry's face fell. He remembered Sirius. If it hadn't been for his foolishness, his godfather would've still been alive...

"Sorry, mate," said Ron, realizing the error he made.

He shook his head at him. "It's all right."

"What do you think, Hermione?" Ron asked, trying to ease the tension he, himself, started.

"Well, honestly, I think it's ingenious that he used the rivalry between the Houses when it comes to House Points to bring about unity among them. Merlin knows the Slytherins need all the friends that they can."

The tall red-head stared at Hermione. "Never thought of it like that. I mean, you wouldn't date Crabbe in exchange for house points, would you?"

She looked disgusted at the very suggestion that her voice dripped with it. "Hell, no! I was thinking more of Malfoy. He's a smarmy git and all but at least his looks make a girl want to rethink things all over."

Harry choked on his chicken leg. Ron, dazedly, thumped him on the back. And the both of them promptly stared at her with wide-eye incredulity and bemusement.

"I was kidding, you know," she said, exasperated. "You didn't think I was serious, did you?"

Hermione didn't get a reply for that query.

"An Inter-House Ball, is it?" murmured Draco Malfoy. "The old dingbat's finally got a good idea."

"What's so good about it, Draco?" asked Goyle, food shooting from his mouth like miniature projectiles.

Draco threw him a napkin. "Cover your mouth, Goyle. You wouldn't want me to catch all your nasty germs, would you?"

The napkin stuffed in his mouth, and trying to chew his food, Goyle shook his head.

"Good boy, Goyle."

"Draco, who're you taking?" Pansy asked beside him. "I haven't got anyone to go with," she offered the information.

A disdainful golden brow lifted, he asked, "Are you trying to imply something? Cause, you know, I'm not taking the bait. I've got a good plan for myself."

"What plan?" this from Crabbe who could not formulate a sentence with more than five words.

"This," he said smugly, with a superior smile pasted on his pale features. He stood up, and said in a loud voice to get across amid the noise. "Hear, hear. I have an announcement to make."

Silence once again reigned in the Hall. After all, this was Draco Malfoy, a rich prefect.

"What's that prat up to now?" Ron muttered.

Harry suggested, "He's probably going to announce his costume just to make sure no one gets the same idea."

"I am sorry to break the hearts of all those who have the desire to ask me to go out with them but I have made my decision. I am going with the mud--Grang--Hermione."

Hermione, at the Gryffindor table, dropped her jaw, literally. Ron's eyes widened and his gaze fell on the surprised Hermione. "Hey, you all right?"

"I have several reasons for having decided as so. But the one important thing is that I can't take Potter out. Not that he'd not find me attractive, but it will not go well with the image, if you know what I mean. Weasely just isn't much of a date. The only mortal enemy I have other than the two of them is Grange--Hermione. She's a girl. And she's my complete opposite. Perfect, isn't it?"

The Gryffindors roared their disapproval at his announcement, but Draco held up a hand at them and said, "And no objections are accepted. Especially if the opinions are from the Gryffindorks."

The Slytherins burst into malicious laughter while the Gryffindors shouted their outrage. Meanwhile, the Ravenclaws looked half-decided whether to join in or continue with studying and at the same time, the Hufflepuffs looked on with tedious expressions on their faces.

Professor McGonagall stood up and shouted at everyone to keep quiet. When that didn't work, she put a Silencing Charm over them all and told them that if one word was uttered when the charm is taken off, he or she or they, for that matter, will have to suffer working with Filch for two whole weeks as punishment.

The threat proved sufficient enough.

"Hermione, you don't look all right," Harry reasserted for the nth time, taking a good look at Hermione's pale face and the wobbly way she walked.

"I am fine, Harry. Don't be such a worry-wart," she insisted.

"I still don't believe the gall on that Malfoy!" Ron said with much contempt. "How dare he announce what he did! It just makes me want to--"

"Kneel before him in absolute hero-worship and show him my gratitude for actually mentioning my name in his wondrous speech," drawled a certain voice the three of them have learned to hate in a matter of minutes--and five years and one month.

"Malfoy," Ron said through gritted teeth. "What do you want?"

Malfoy gave Ron a curt nod and said, "Weasley. I don't want anything from you. But you might want something from me--but let's not dwell on that because I'm straight."

Ron flushed, his anger beginning to show signs.

The platinum-haired prefect said, after rolling his eyes, "I knew Gryffindors were slow to thinking but I would have thought that I've made myself clear a few minutes ago."

"Well, she doesn't want to talk to you!" Harry said scathingly. "You've done too much for this day to cause her trauma to last her a whole year!"

"Good to hear I'm quite effective," he drawled out. "Stop being such a hero, Potter. I don't appreciate it. Plus, it makes you look like a complete prat, oh wait. You are."

Harry replied sarcastically, "Coming from you, I deem that a great compliment. Thank you."

"So, Granger?"

Cold brown eyes settled on Draco Malfoy. "No."

"What? Come on, you must be kidding!"

"Can't you take a 'no', Malfoy?" asked Ron heatedly. "Or maybe, your-too-frail-a-Slytherin-mind could not even begin to comprehend what that simple word means!"

"Weasel," said Draco coldly. "I am not here to even see you. Why would I want to hear your none too effective insults?"

"Let's just go," said Hermione, and turned her back on them.

Ron and Harry looked at each other, both wanting to smash Malfoy's face in but they knew they had to follow Hermione, who was bound to throw fits.

"Tell her that I don't give up easily," said Malfoy with a smirk as the other two left.

Harry left him a disgusted look.

Having recovered sufficiently after a few days, Hermione got back her usual chores--performing prefect duties and doing her assignments.

That day, she was up at the library, researching about the make-up and ingredients of an Aging Potion for an upcoming Potions class.

Malfoy was able to corner her.

"Granger."

She held her chest in surprise, too absorbed in the book she was reading to notice his approach. "Malfoy, you gave me a fright."

"Nice to know we're on speaking terms now."

Remembering Malfoy's annoucement, her eyes turned cold and she said, "What is it that you want from me? And before I forget," she added firmly, "no."

"But I haven't asked anything yet," he said pointedly. He pulled himself a seat beside hers and he continued. "I have a proposition to make."

"I'm not interested."

"I'm sure you will be," said Draco in a self-assured voice. "But you have to hear me out first."

Her eyes narrowed at him in suspicion, she said, "Whatever it is that you propose to do, you could bring it up to someone else. You could ask Colin Creevey."

"Granger, please credit with some taste. Creevey is as bad as Diggory, God bless his soul, but still not worse than Potter. But that is beside the point," he added hastily, collecting himself. "I think that you and I shall benefit from my proposition."

Hermione raised a brow at him. "You made a plan to benefit another person?" she asked, wanting to make sure she heard clearly.

"Yes," he said, his brows furrowing a little. "I guess that sounds just a bit too conniving, right? Too obvious, actually, that I'm up to no good."

She nodded her head vigorously. "That's right."

"Still beside the point. Anyway, are you willing to listen?"

Hermione looked at her wristwatch. "All right, Malfoy, five minutes, then."

Draco smirked at her. "Knew you'd give in."

"Four minutes and thirty seconds."

"All right, all right. First, Halloween plan is to go with arch rivals. It's All Hollow's Eve. Mischief is amid. Need I say more? Second, you and I. Obvious, right?"

She looked uncertain.

"Let me explain further that your poor pathetic mudblood brain could comprehend better," he said with an air of arrogance. "You and I are well suited for each other for Halloween. You see, I've devised a plan that we don't have to wear any costume."

Hermione's brows quirked upwards in inquiry. "How?"

"We're rivals. You and I compete for top grades in classes, Arithmancy and Potions namely, probably a bit of Transfiguration and Charms, too..." Malfoy drifted off as he enumerated the subjects they had.

"Two minutes."

"Fine. Anyway, that's one. Second, you're one of Potter's best friends. I am Potter's biggest enemy here in Hogwarts unless you count Professor Quirrel and the Heir of Slytherin thing back in second year...but that's still beside the point. Thirdly, I am Draco Malfoy, purblood. You're a lowly, filthy mudblood."

"That's not making me agree to your terms, you know," Hermione said dryly, unaffected by Malfoy's snide remark.

"Last and most important of all, I am beautiful. I have been gifted with a wonderful physique and a valuable face. You, on the other hand, cannot say the same for yourself."

Hermione slammed her hand on the table in indignation. "Malfoy, if you are here to flaunt your narcissism, leave me be."

Madame Pince stared sharply at them. "I would appreciate it if you lower your tones."

"Sorry," Hermione mumbled. "See what you've done!" she hissed at Malfoy.

He continued to smirk at her. "If you'd only listen to me, we'll get to the part which benefits us both."

"All right, Malfoy. You're down to your last minute."

"Well, seeing as we get into each other's nerves all the time, being Gryffindorks and Slytherins and all, we shall foster House Unity. It shall start with us. Just imagine the humongous amount of House Points we might receive for swallowing our bile for a night."

Hermione paused. "I'll think about it."